Insulated rail-joint.



L. GRIFFITH. INSULATED RAIL JOINT.

' APPLICATION FILED PEB.3,1913.

1,064,900. Patented June 17, 1913.

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UNITED STATS LA'WRENCE GRIFFITH, OF YONKERS, NEW' YORK.

INSULATED RAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 17,1913.

Application filed February 3, 1913. Serial No. 745,323.

lie it known that l, LAwnENcE GRIFFITH, a citizen of the United States.and resi dent of Yonkers. county of estchester, and State ot New York.have invented certain new and useful Improvements in InsulatedlRail-Joints, of which the following is a specification.

One of the main objects of this invention is to provide a rail jointwherein the splicebars will be formed with inwardly extending railsupporting flanges adapted to be in. direct contact with the rails inorder to rigidly support the rail ends, the insulating material usedbeing so disposed that the rail supporting flanges of the splice-barsneed not be insulated from the rail ends.

It is the common practice in insulated rail joints in which any form ofrail supporting plates or flanges are used to insert between the railand such supporting plate a strip of insulating material. Thisinsulating material is soon destroyed by the pounding of the railthereon and for that reason is of great weakness in this type of joint.it is manifest, therefore, that to pro vide an ctlicient insulated railjoint. in which the rails are directly supported by a metal plate indirect contact therewith, is very desirable.

A nother object of this invention is to place a rail support or thirdtie directly under the ends and between the ties adjacent the ends ofthe rails. This rail support under the meeting ends of rails isparticularly dcsirablo and efiicient when used in connection with theinsulated rail joint structure described herein for the reason that saidrail support is directly engaged by the inwardly extending railsupporting flanges of the splice-bars.

There are other important objects and advantages of the invention whichwill appear hereinafter.

In the drawing. Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view of the railjoint on the line l I of Fig. 3. looking) in the direction in dicated bythe arrow: ig. Q a similar view on the line Il-II of Fig. looking: inthe direction indicated by the arrow; Fig. 3 a plan view of the railjoint: and Fin. 4 a side elevation of the rail joint, the bolts beingshown in section at the left-hand end thereof. to show the nonrircularopenings in that end of one of the splice-bars.

Referring to the various parts by numerals. 1 desigi'iates the rail endsand 2 the tics torniing the supports for the rails. The spliiebar S isformed at one end with an inwardly extending rail supporting base flange4; and the splice-bar 5 is formed atv one end with an inwardly extendingrail supporting base flange 6. Each of these base flanges extends underand contacts with one rail only, and does not bridge the joint betweenthe rail ends. The upper surface of the vertical rail head supportingweb of each splicebar is downwardly and inwardly inclined and betweensaid surface and theadjoining under side of the rail head is interposeda metallic wearing-piece 7 which extends tl'ironglu'iut the length ofthe splicebar and bridges the joint between the rail ends. The ends ofthis wearing piece are turneddown as shown at 8 in Fig. 4 to pre ventany longitudinal movement thereof. This wearing piece is alsowedge-shape in cross section and tapers outwardly to prevent out 'ardlateral displacement thereof.

interposed between the wearing piece and the rail head and between thesplice-bar and the rail is suitable insulation 9. It is manitest that itis not necessary to place insulation between the splice-bar and thatrail with which the splice-bar base flange is in contact. it. being onlynecessary to insulate the splice-bar and wearing piece from that. railwhi h the split-char base flange does not engage. l lowever. forsimplicity in assent bline' the parts of the jointthe insulation may beextended throiuiluuit. the length of the bars on both sides of therails. It Is also mauitest that the bolts need be insulated From onlyone of the splice-bars. as indicated in Fig. 3. It is clear that thebolts passing through the rail which is resting; on the splicc-bar baseflange need not be insulated from the splice-bar carrying said baseflange. Plaid bolts must, however, be insulated from the oppositesplice-bar. This arrangement permits bolts having non-circular shanks tobe inserted directly in splicebars having noircircular openings as shownin Fig. 4'. This simplifies the assembling of the joint and prevents theturning of the joint bolts when the nuts are being tightened. It alsopermits bolts to be used which are provided with ordinary round boltheads instead of bolts having angular or nut heads.

The base flanges of the splice-bars form etiicient rail supportingplates which are in direct contact with the rails. The base flange (3 ofthe splice-bar 5 is extended outwardly to rm the spike flange 6*. Thisbase flange is also suflieiently wide to extend outwardly beyond thesplice-bar 3 on the opposite side of the rail, as shown clearly in Fig.2. Likewise the base flange 4. of the splice-bar 3 is extended outwardlyon the splice bar side thereof to form the spiking flange 4 This baseflange 4 is of sut e'ient width to extend beyond the rail base andoutwardly beyond the splicebar 5 on the opposite side of the rail, asshown clearly in Fig. 11

In spiking or otherwise securing the splice-bar to the tics, a spike ais passed downwardly through the splice-bar 5 at the edge of the railand downwardly through the base flange 6 into the tie. The spikingflange 6 is secured in position by means of spikes or other fasteningmeans I) arranged along the edge thereof. In view of the fact that thebase flange (3 is in contact with the rail it is unnecessary to insulatethe spike a from the rail. The other edge of the base flange G securedto the ties by means of spikes c and (I, spikes a passing through thebase support and the spikes 01 being arranged at the edge thereof, oneof said spikes (l securing the base flange to the tie directly under themeeting ends of the rails. It is to be noted that the spikes c and cl donot contact with the splicebar 3 and that, therefore. said splice-bar isnot electrically connected to the ,base flange 6 of the splicebar Thesplice-bar 3 with its base flange 4 is secured to the tics by means ofthe spikes e and f. spike a passing through-the splicebar and its baseflange close to the edge of the rail base, spikes f engaging the outerlongitudinal edge of the spiking flange 4 The other edge of the baseflange is secured in position by spikes g and h, spikes 9 pass ingthrough the base flange and spikes h engaging the outer longitudinaledge thereof. It is to be noted that the spikes g and it do not contactwith the splice-bar 5 so that said splice-bar is not electricallyconnected to the base flange of the splice-bar 3. It is, therefore,clear that only one end of each splicebar proper is spiked or otherwisesecured directly to the ties. -By this arrangement of the base supports"or base flanges of the splice-bars the said base supports may besecurely spiked to the tie on both of its edges. This is very desirablein that it holds the base support very rigidly in position transverselyof the rail base. This arrangement of the securing means also insuresthe complete insulation of the unflanged end of each splice-bar.

From the foregoing it is manifest that I proyide an insulated joint ofvery simple construction; which may be very readily as sembled, and inwhich a minimum amountof insulation will be used and wherein theinsulation will be thoroughly protected. It

is also manifest that I provide a base sup port for each rail end inwhich the rail is directly supported on metal,n insulation be--' ingnecessary between the rail base and the rail support. It also manifestthat 1 provide a joint wherein the splice-bar need be spiked orotherwise secured to the ties only at one end of the splice-bar. Byforming each splice-bar with a rail base supporting flange of sufficientwidth to extend under the rail 7 base and project outwardly beyond therail base on both sides, said base supporting flange may be spikeddirectly to the tie at both of its edges withdut interfering with thecomplete insulation of the joint.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. An insulated rail joint comprising the meeting ends of two rails,splice-bars, insulation between the spliccbars and the rails, anindependent rail support under each rail' end and in electric contacttherewith. said rail supports being electrically disconnected from eachother, one of said rail supports being connected to one splice-bar andunconnected with the othersplice bar. r ad each of said rail supportsextending outwar o beyond the splice-bar to which it not connected.

7 2. An insulated rail joint comprising the meeting ends of two rails,splicebars, insir lation between the splice-bars and the rails and aninwardly extending rail supporii Q base flange formed at one end of eachh'di 'sy JILL bar, 'each of said flanges directly cent; with andsupporting one rail and out a electrical connection with the splice-baron the opposite side of said supported rail, each of said flangesextending outwardly beyond the splice-bar to which it is not connected.

3. rln insulated rail joint compr meeting ends of two rails, splice-bart lation between the splice-bars and the r; and an inwardly extendingrai! support base flange formed at one end of each s1 1 t. bar, each ofsaid flanges directly contacting 13;; with and supporting one rail andout of electrical connection with the splice-bar on the opposite side ofsaid supported rail. each of said flanges extending outwardly beyond thesplice-bar to which it is not connected, and means for securing saidoutwardh projecting portion of each rail supporting flange to a tietsaid means being independent and out of electric contact with theunconnected splice-bar.

4. An insulated rail joint comprising the meeting ends of two rails,splice-bars illdlltb tion between the splice-bars and the rails. anindependent rail support under each rail end and in electric contacttherewith, said rail supports being electrically disconnected from eachother, one of said rail supports being connected to one splice-bar andunconnected with the other splice-bar. and each of said rail supportsextending out nrdly beyond the splice-bar to which i? i not connected. a

5, An insulated railjoini comprising the meeliug ends of two rails,splice-burs, 1n-

ruils, an independent mil support under each rail end and in electriccontact therewith, said rail supports being electrically discunnecLedfrom each other, mil supports being connected to one splicx bar andunconnected with the other splicebar, and each of said rail supportsextendsecuring said outwardly gi rfljenfiing pm'lion nf each mil supper!u; a he, 581d means he sulaliun between the splice-bars and the one ofsaid ing GlliWflIdl'y' '-eyon l the splice-bar to which it is 110%mnnecied, and means fur.

ing iml pcndem and out of elmiric comm-l with the uncmmcctml.f'YliCQ-bfil'.

In testimony *whez eef I hereunto allix my signature in the vresenceuftwo Witnesses. 20

' LiUiYR-ENCE G RIFFYPH.

Witnesses LILLIAN Mcfil'mn, F. R. Minnie.

(npies of this patent may be obtalnewi for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Yak-ems Weshingtcn, I), C.

